I'm retrieving corpses in Konoha.

After a brief entanglement, just as Tsunade was about to use some tricks to evade her debt, the creditor suddenly proposed a bet with her.

The bald creditor's bargaining chip is the debt Tsunade owes, while Tsunade's bargaining chip is all her current wealth.

If the creditor wins and Tsunade loses all her money, the creditor can grant her a grace period so that she and the others don't have to rush to repay the debt.

If the creditor loses all their chips, then Tsunade's debt will be settled.

Tsunade agreed without hesitation, because she had just borrowed the money yesterday, and this bald creditor had no idea how much money she had.

They could just pick out a small portion and say that was all there was, and the creditor would have no choice but to believe them.

From Tsunade's perspective, she was the one who benefited from this gamble.

With Jingyin chiming in, they felt this was a good opportunity.

Under normal circumstances, they would be completely unable to repay the debtor's money, and being able to use gambling as collateral to pay off the debt is something they desperately want.

Tsunade knew that Shizune had been running away from creditors with him every day for the past few years, and was probably somewhat afraid of creditors.

Therefore, even though Jingyin was a bit too eager, she didn't suspect anything.

The location for the bet was decided by the creditor. The bald creditor thought about it for a long time before leading a few people to the tavern and finding a central spot with a good view.

Here, you can see both the entrance and the cashier counter.

The betting game had already begun, and Tsunade was beaming with excitement. She didn't think she could win at all and just wanted to finish the betting game as soon as possible.

In this way, the big creditor will give them some time off.

Once they were given the grace period, they would take the money and run away, leaving Tanabata Street.

Anyway, there are other casinos besides this one. Once things calm down, I can come back and roam the world like before.

Shizune looked a little nervous. She seemed to genuinely believe that Tsunade could win, as if she were hoping to pay off the debt to the biggest creditor.

As the gambling continued, the atmosphere at the table became increasingly intense, with Tsunade completely immersed in the game.

However, the surrounding situation was different from normal.

Tsunade noticed that there wasn't a single drinker who usually surrounded the gambling table today.

The atmosphere was a little unnatural; Tsunade instinctively felt something was amiss. But there seemed to be no danger in the room, and the patrons were all ordinary people.

Shizune pretended not to know anything and tried her best to show off her acting skills.

When the major creditor first came looking for him, he thought the other party was really there to collect the debt, and he was extremely nervous.

Later, when the creditor said he wanted to hold a gambling game at the tavern, Shizune felt relieved, knowing that the creditor was someone Uchiha Natsu had brought.

Today, all she needs to do is fully cooperate with the debtor in playing the lead role.

The bald creditor didn't think much of it. In fact, Uchiha Natsu had already paid off Tsunade's debt that day. The reason he came to collect the debt again was because Uchiha Natsu had given him money to come.

Why wouldn't she take the money if she could? Especially since the person giving her the money was the very person who helped Tsunade pay off her debts.

The bald chieftain wasn't worried at all about being exposed when someone like that entrusted him with a task.

Although I don't know why that person did this, they must have their reasons. Maybe this is the pleasure of being rich.

The betting was underway, but Tsunade felt increasingly uneasy, so she turned to Shizune and said:

"Jingyin, something strange happened at the tavern today. Go and investigate what's going on."

Although Tsunade didn't want to meddle, their bet was going to take place there, and she needed to figure out the situation to ensure the bet would end smoothly.

If there really is some trouble, then we'll have to take the creditors to another place.

Jingyin agreed and then pretended to run off to ask what was going on.

Tsunade remained focused and continued gambling with her creditor, the dice clattering.

Not long after, Jingyin returned, looking rather unwell.

She bent down and briefly explained the situation from the previous night to Tsunade.

The bald creditor across the street also stopped shaking the dice and interjected upon hearing this:

"It's mostly because of that guy Takisuke. He's been going around collecting rent these past few days, forcing many businesses to want to run away."

Tsunade frowned, but didn't pay much attention. However, she seemed to be thinking about something and her mood wasn't very good.

Seeing this, Shizune tentatively asked in a low voice, "Lady Tsunade, should we intervene?"

"Heh, what's the use?" Tsunade remained unmoved, turning her gaze back to the gambling table.

The bald creditor stroked his stubble and suddenly said:

"If only the Hokage were here. The Daimyo's office is incompetent, and only someone like the Hokage can save this rotten world. It's just a pity that the Hokage is too busy taking care of himself right now."

These weren't words that Uchiha Natsu taught him; the bald man genuinely believed them.

Tsunade glanced at the bald creditor, then, thinking of the current situation and the young man in black, a cold smile appeared on her face.

"This rotten world is beyond saving. Over the years, countless people have tried to realize this dream, but none of them have had a good ending, and no one remembers the efforts they once made."

"Moreover, the world is inherently unfair. The incompetent and weak live well, while those with lofty aspirations and who strive for them die one after another. What is there to look forward to?"

These words were somewhat negative, and others might not have felt anything special, but Shizune, who knew about Tsunade's past, felt a bit choked up.

The despair that Tsunade experienced is something that others cannot understand.

The bald creditor wanted to argue, but was afraid that saying too much would ruin his benefactor's plans, so he could only remain silent.

Just then, a commotion arose around them, as if something had happened.

The three people in the cubicle were also drawn in and looked out together.

?

After entering the tavern, Uchiha Natsumi and Uzuki Yugao went to a corner, ordered only two pots of tea, and waited quietly.

During this time, Uchiha Natsu also kept an eye on Tsunade's situation. Seeing that everything was going smoothly, he nodded to himself.

Uzuki Yugao didn't understand why her teacher had chosen such a remote place for her.

Because of the partitions, it's not possible to clearly observe all the guests in the pub from the corner; the correct approach is to walk back and forth in the aisle.

Unfortunately, only the teacher possesses the ability to see the Immortal Jade, so she can't help in this regard.

A teacher with a bad temper remains unmoved, while a gentle and understanding student can only watch helplessly.

After finishing the tea, Uzuki Yugao, seeing her teacher still so composed, finally couldn't sit still any longer.

But just as she was about to get up, she noticed that the patrons in the tavern were getting restless.

The source of the commotion was just inside the door.

A fierce-looking, burly young man swaggered open the curtain, his copper-bell-like eyes glaring menacingly at the panicked proprietress.

It was Takisuke, the "bully" who demanded payment last night.

"I told you yesterday that today is the final deadline. Where is the rent?" Takisuke's voice was very intimidating and extremely fierce.

He didn't actually care whether the tavern owner had money or not; his real purpose was to use the tavern to intimidate other businesses and prevent them from attempting to resist.

He brought ninjas from the Chigen clan with him today, ready to smash up the shop.

The Chigen clan was a ninja family that his father supported with a large sum of money.

That family has many strong members, including several Jonin, so almost no one can cause trouble in a place like Tanabata Street.

The tavern owner came out looking terrified and with a mournful expression.

The hope that had just emerged last night was shattered in just one night, plunging us back into despair.

"Lord Takisuke, we...we will definitely gather the money as soon as possible, please grant us a few more days..."

"boom!"

Before the boss could finish speaking, a muffled thud was heard.

Takisuke kicked over a partition and angrily shouted:

"I've already given you a day. I warned you last night, and you still dare to dodge my questions. It seems that without some action, some merchants have forgotten how powerful I am."

As he spoke, Takisuke suddenly glanced at the proprietress's chest, somewhat surprised by how quickly she had recovered.

But he didn't think much of it, since he hadn't used much force last night.

But today is different. Even if they don't kill, they must at least be seriously injured or disabled to have a deterrent effect.

This time, with the second round of rent collection, many merchants have started to be perfunctory and delay. If we don't make an example of them, these merchants probably won't cooperate obediently.

They can only blame their bad luck; they just spent so much money on renovations, which is like them coming here to be slaughtered.

The surrounding patrons were all furious. Some of them were also nearby shopkeepers. Although they missed the event last night, they all rushed over today after hearing about it, just to see Takisuke's true attitude.

Unexpectedly, Takisuke really showed no mercy and was about to smash up the shop.

This shattered their last remaining illusions, leaving them both angry and deeply fearful.

Because after dealing with the tavern, it would be their turn.

"What kind of rent are you here to collect?"

Just then, a magnetic young man's voice rang out.

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and they all turned their gazes toward the source of the sound.

In their eyes, a very handsome man, dressed in white, came from a corner cubicle to the central aisle, frowning as he looked at Takisuke.

The tavern owner was startled. He thought it was the person who saved his life yesterday, but it turned out to be a stranger who seemed to be about to help someone in need.

This is outrageous! He knows how formidable Takisuke is; ordinary people simply can't stand up to this bully. He doesn't want to drag innocent people into this mess.

So the tavern owner quickly said:

"Young man, this has nothing to do with you. He's not someone to mess with. You should apologize and leave quickly. We can't let you get involved!"

His words made the surrounding drinkers feel even more that Takisuke was extremely wicked and they were furious.

But they didn't have the courage to step forward like this young man; that would be playing with their lives.

Takisuke squinted and looked at Uchiha Natsu, realizing that he had seen this person yesterday.

He's definitely not a local; the important figures I remember don't seem to be this young.

In reality, people at Takisuke's level wouldn't have access to people of high status.